July 8, 2011

My Motivation To Find Your Motivation

Posted in photography tagged children, kids, motivation, motivators, photographer, photography, special needs at 6:12 am by kathrynkayphoto

Okay, lets face it.  We all have something that we will be willing to do anything for…..even the dreaded smile for the camera and pose thing.  One of the keys to getting these munchkins to participate, albeit sometimes with a scowl or frown at first, is finding the item that just tickles them pink.  And, sometimes it may be just that….tickles! Finding a motivator depends entirely on the individual child.  What works for bringing smiles to one child, will not automatically work the same way with another rug rat.  A motivator that works spectacular at the beginning of a session, will most likely not still be working by the end of the session.

So what’s a camera reeling gal to do?  Investigate….investigate…..investigate, then investigate some more! I like to include such questions in the initial interview with the parents.  Parents can generally give you an idea of what their offspring desires as a mid-day snack, whether or not they welcome silly faces, or monsters chasing and tickling their little toes. And remember, this is just a base to adjust accordingly when the little cuties are actually in your presence and staring face to face with a stranger that has suddenly become an important part of their day.

As your day progresses, remember to re-evaluate the motivator. Kiddos can become satiated on one item and in turn it will lose its magical powers.  You will need to find a new and more exciting item that will hold a spell over those princes and princesses to squeeze out a few more of the precious smiles and sheer cuteness.

Here are some examples that I have found to be truly great motivators:

• Gummy bears (the absolute best!) – these rock, because they are quick to chew and swallow (mini sizes are the best    ever), they are colorless as drool billowing from those cute little lips onto their perfectly tuned outfits, most kids love them, and most parents don’t mind them.
• Tickles – affordable, quick, and definitely produces the cutest little smiles.
• Time with a special toy –  of course this is “earned” time for a nice effort in producing natural looking smiles.
• Play time – I have found that these funny little munchkins make friends quickly, and after a few minutes of warming up to you, they insist that you are their new best friend, and must absolutely go down the slide with them at least once in between shots.
• Camera – Most kiddos will love the opportunity to look at themselves in the camera.  This of course is an absolutely wonderful opportunity for them to “earn” a look-see at themselves AFTER the perfect shot is acquired.

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